Holder for ribbons, &amp;c.



PATENTED JAN. 30

H. MAINE. LDER POR RIBBONS, 8m.

APLIcATIoN FILED MAY 25. 1905.

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WIN /xaur WMA ma.

ful Holder 'UNITED s'rA'rEs PATENT oEEroE. l HIRAM IVIAINEFIIAIISILFIIFLIS, INDIANA.

l HOLDER FOR RIBONS, to. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30.I 1906.

Application led May 25, 1905. Serial No. 262,146.

To all whom it may con/cern.

Be it known that I, IIIRAM MAINE, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and usefor Ribbons and the Like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a convenient means for holding rolls of ribbon and other fabrics in retail stores so as to protect the fabric from light and from being soiled and also in order that the rolls may always appear full size, however much of the ribbon may have been previously unwound thereom. In retail stores, where the ribbons are placed in cases and boxes and without means for inclosing each roll individually, the rolls soon become soiled, the ribbon is liable to fade, and the paper discolored. Probably the worst effect, however, of such manner of handling for retailing is that the various rolls after portions of some of them have been sold differ in size and appearance, and some of them become loosely Wound with tagging ribbon ends, so that the whole presents a very unsightly and chaotic appearance to purchasers. When nearly all the ribbon on a roll has been sold, it becomes relatively very small and presents a bad appearance in a case with others and is liable to be neglected, and thus remnants accumulate. With this invention the rolls will always appear the same size, regardless of the amount of ribbon thereon.

Another feature of the invention consists in combining with such holder a strip of paper or other flexible material with a scale `thereon indicatin the amount of ribbon in the holder and t e amount that has been withdrawn and also measuring the amount, of fabric for any individual sale.

Thefull nature of the invention will be understood frompthe accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the ribbon-holder. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a central ,vertical section "through the device, the elevated position of the lid being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 4; is a pers ective View of the front side of the ribbonolder on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the ribbon-paper with a measuring-scale thereon on I is a transverse slot 'greatly-reduced scale as compared with In detail the drawings herein show a casing formed ofa lower body portion 10 and the upper lid portion 11, hinged to the body portion at 12 by a strip of felt or other flexible material that is glued to the adjacent edges-of the parts 10 and l1. Below the hinge 12 there 23 in the body portion 10 of the casing through which the ribbon 13 and the ribbon-paper 14 are drawn from the bolt of ribbon within the ribbon-holder. W'ithin the holder the ribbon is wound upon the spool 17 or similar thing. The ends of the ribbon and ribbon-paper that extend out through the slot 23 pass over the top of the ribbon-holder and down in front ofthe holder, as shown. That presentsa sufficient displaysurface for showing the ribbon. A piece of felt or cloth 15 is secured to the lid portion 11, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and when said lid portion is closed it may beheld closed by pinning said piece of felt to a felt surface 16 on the adjacent edge of the lower body portion 1 0. The outer or free end of the ribbon may likewise be pinned to the felt 16, so as to hold it in place when the ribbon is not being withdrawn from the holder.

Upon the ribbon-paper 14 I provide a scale of measurement to indicate the length of the piece of ribbon being sold instead of having to measure it by some independent measuring means, so that by looking on the scale on the ribbon-paper the salesman can see how much to cut off for any sale. It also has a reverse scale to .indicate the quantity of ribbon unsold. For instance, a bolt contains ten yards of ribbon. There is a scale for ten yards marked upon the ribbon-paper lying immediately beneath the ribbon and between its folds. The ribbon-paper unwinds with the ribbon, and therefore at the extreme outer end of the ribbon the number Oindicates the beginning of the scale indicating the quantity taken out, and l0 indicates the beginning'of the reverse scale showing the amount unsold. It is thus apparent that with this ribbon-holder one can insert a roll of ribbon and pass the outer ends of the ribbon and ribbon-paper through the slot 23 and up over the top of the casing and unwind it as it is sold, and the measurement of it will be indicated as it is unwound, and the amount unsold will also Vbe indicated as it is unwound, This feature of measurement is of great advantage in invoicing, as by looking at the IOO IIO

y stantially scale on the ribbon-paper one can easily see l sold ribbon in the roll may be there will be no outward evidence of that to the purchaser, and the outward appearance will remain the same, as the holder with the ribbon passing over it as herein described and shownhas the appearance of a full-sized roll of ribbon. Thus all rolls will be apparently full size and of the same size and will tend to preserve remnants until they are completely sold.

Vhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A holder adapted to receive a roll of ribbon or other fabric, said holder being subthe same form as the roll of ribbon or the like and provided with a body portion and lid portion hinged thereto through which the roll of ribbon or the like may be inserted into the holder and a slot below the hinge of the lid portion through which the ribbon may be withdrawn so that the ribbon may be passed over the lid portion7 and means at the side of the holder opposite said slot to which the ribbon maybe temporarily secured.

2. A holder for ribbon and the like that is cylindrical inform and consists of a body portion, a lid portion hinged thereto, a elt or other flexible fabric secured to the lid portion at the free side and hanging down a feltor Acloth secured to the adjacent body portion to which said overhanging portion may be secured for holding the lid portion closed, and a slot in the body portion below the hinge through which the ribbon may be withdrawn.

ln witness whereof l have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

HlRAM MAINE.

Witnesses N. ALLEMONG, W. H. BONHAM. 

